"Both of you... Mr. Duan, please think back and tell us what happened at your own pace. There's no need to rush."
"All right, let me think... I'd just retired... Right after I retired, it was just like the old lady said. That old Blackie got called back to work after retiring, and I thought I wasn't any worse than him... Let's not talk about that." The old man let out a sigh.
The old woman beside him opened her mouth, then hesitated. In the end, she said nothing.
The old man continued, "After I got home, like I told you, I stayed there for a few days, but I couldn't sit still. So I went to the teahouse in our complex. It's right by the entrance. You came in through the east gate, right? It's right there. Every day, lots of old men go there to drink tea, listen to opera, and chat. I'd go sit there for a while. When I was still working, I'd sometimes go there on Saturdays and Sundays, too. But it felt... different... Back then, I still had a job, and I'd look at those retired old men... sigh..."
The old woman sighed along with him.
The old man looked lost in his memories. "I still remember that day. An old man from Building 13 was listening to the radio there. They were saying something about increasing pensions based on the retirees' ages. He said, 'Great, more money!' I said, 'It still can't compare to what people who work earn.' He just grinned and said it was free money. I couldn't stand it, so I called him a freeloader and told him to have some shame. He said something back, and we started arguing."
The old woman muttered something under her breath, but not